This year, only three political parties are running candidates at all levels of state office—Governor, Senate, and Assembly—in Bergen County in the November election. But only two of those parties—Democrats and Republicans—were allowed in a lottery for Columns 1 and 2, the most favored positions on the ballot. On August 14th in the Bergen County Clerk’s Office, the Republicans “won” Column 1 and the Democrats “won” Column 2.

The Libertarian Party candidates for Governor, Senate, and Assembly were thrown into a separate lottery with other candidates. As a result of this lottery, the Libertarian Party candidates have been relegated to Column 5. This is one of many ways, along with ballot access laws, complex campaign finance laws, and exclusionary debate rules, that the two old parties use to steer you to their candidates and give themselves every possible unfair advantage.